Expression device.



No. 886,569. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. F. W. WOOD. EXPRESSION DEVICE.

APYLIOATION PILBD'AUG. 24, 1907.

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. M J w m\ H p M WU w n .\i a f No. 836,569. PATENTED' MAY 5, 1908.,'

F. W. WOOD; 1

' EXPRESSION DEVICE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICH W. WOOD, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOIi TO THE BERRY-WOOD PIANO. v PLAYER CO., OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

EXPRESSION DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1208;

Application filed Augult 24, 1907. Serial No. 390,652.

To all whomit may concern? Be it known that LFREDERIQH W. WOOD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' efficient and reliable expression device of the character outlined which is of simple, small,

compact and inexpensive construction. I

To this end the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construe tion and organization as hereinafter described and' claimed; and in order that it ma be fully understood reference is -to.be

ha to the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch:-

. Figure '1, is a view showing the expressiondevice in perspective and a tracker-bar and note-sheet in plan view, with, the tracker-bar connected to the expression device and the note-sheet broken away to vdisclose the openings .in the trackerbar connected to the expression rdevice.

Fig. '2, is a vertical section taken on the line II'II of Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale and showing the operative parts in the 'ositions they occupy when one of them orations of the note-sheet is admitting air to the exression device. ine III.III of Fig. 1, on the same scale as Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a section on the line IVIV 'ofFig; 1. Fig. 5, is a plan'view of the expressiondevice with the top plate and the sidewalls omitted. Fi 6, is a section taken 'on the lineVI- VI of In the said drawings, l indicate's the bottom of the device rovided with u wardly projecting end wal s 2 and back wa l 3.

4 is the to Wall and 5a wall which closes one side am in conjunction with the other parts namedcompletes the exhaust-chamber 6 connected by an'exhaust-tube 7 carried by the top with a tube (not shownlto suitable means for maintaining. a constant suction from saidchamber, and 8 is a plate secured to the device at the opposite side from wall 5.

portion of the 1 Fig. 3, is a-section on the 9 and Q indicate'tube's extending through wall 5 and communicating with assag'es. 10 and 1O" respectively, extending' through the bottom and provided with screens 11 and 11 'at-their'= front ends to exclude lint and dust.

12 and l2 'are' branch passages extending upward from passages 10 an 10"v respectively covered by ca s13 and 13 having vent-holes 14 and '14 or the purpose of providing means for exhausting air from passages 10 and 10 through the exhaustchamber 6., r

=5 and 15? are chambers commumcati with'passages 10 and 10 respectively ,--an

covered by lfiexible dia hragms 16 and 16 equipped with wear-disfi gagement with thelower ends of. valvestems 18 and 18? extending up through the s 17 and 17 for en top and chambers 19 and 19 respectively,

in said'top and equipped in the latter with; valves 20'and 20, the said valves normallyv resting onthe underlying plates 21 and 21" forming the bottoms of said valve-chambers 19 and 19 and centrally perforated to establish communication between the exhaust chamber and'said valve-chambers.

22 and 22* are similar butinverted plates forming the tops of" the-valve-chambers and also centrally perforated; to establishxcom- 'rnunication -b'etween the valve chambers and theatmosphere, and bridging the last 'named'platejs so as to exclude lint and particles in general foreign to the air, from the valve chambers are screens 23 and 23 having central eyeleted, openings 24 and 24,

. which eyeleted openings in conjunction with the cross bars 25 and 25 form guides forithe .valve stems to insuredirect endwise move-' ment thereof.

26 and 26 indicate passages extending from chambers 19- and 19 res ectively, to

and communicating withangu ar passages 27 and 27.? in plate 8, the last-named passages opening into chambers 29' and 29 in' communication w ithtubes 30 and 30 connected 'by flexible tubes (not shown) to bellows or equivalent means for o crating the loud and soft pedals of a inusica instrument, not shown, these connections and means for operating the bellows being common in the art. The chambers 29- and :29 are provided with flexible diaphragms 31 and 31 which normally close the rear ends of -passages 10 and 10' and also ofang'ular passages 32 and 32 connected to a passage Y tubes connected therewith, but this action -inflate'the diaphragm 31 (see in communication with a passage 34 in the top leading to a valve-chamber 35 connected to the atmosphere through a perforated plate 36 and to the exhaust-chamber'through a similar but inverted plate 37, the communication with the atmosphere being through a Screen 38 having an eyeleted opening 39 for the stem 40 of a valve 41 located in chamber '35, the lower endof said stein resting on the Wear-disk 42 of a flexible diaphragm 43 bridging a chamber 44 in communication with a passage 45 screened at its front end as at 46, said assage having a passage 47jconnected to t e exhaust-chamber by a venthole cap 48. Passage 45 is also-connected to a tube. 49 connected by ai'lexible tube 50 to an opening 51 in a tracker-bar 52 over which a note-sheet 53 passes. Tubes 9 and 9 are also connected by flexible tubes 54 and 54 to tracker-bar openings 55 and 55, and in line with openings 55 and 55 and 51 are 0 enings 56, 56 and 57 in the note-sheet, t ese openings being additional to the ordinary note-sheet openings (not shown) for thereto, and passage'34 and valve chamber 35 are also filled with air. N ow when a notesheet opening 56 comes opposite tracker-bar oppning 55, air enters thelatter and passes ough the connections described to chamber- 15 and raises diaphragm -'16 and the valve 20 until the latter engages plate 22, this action of the' valve opening communication between the exhaust-chamber and valve-chamber 19 and closing communication between the latter and the atmosphere so as to draw the air from thebellows of the loud'pedal-for instanc'e--through the connections described (see Fig. 2) into the exhaust-chamber and up through tube '7, this action resulting in the production of an increased volume of sound from the musical instrument. The exhaust-chamber at the same time draws air through the vent-hole 14 from the chamber 15 and the passages and is so restricted that sufficient air is supplied to chamber 15 to maintain valve 20 in its elevated position after the note-sheet in its pro ress closes tracker-bar opening 55, such air eing su plied through the perforation of plate 36 see Fig. 4) valve chamber 35, passages 34 and 33 and branch passe e 32 to 1g. 2 to es tablishcommunioation between said branch passages and anote-sheet opening 57 registers with the tracker-bar opening 51 when air enters the latter and. passes through the connections described (see Fig. 4) and raises diaphragm 43 and valve 41 until the latter closes the perforation of plate 36 and thus cuts off the sup 1y of air through branch passage 32 which. flated and establishes a suction through said branch passage which permits said diaphragm to close the passage by reason of atmosphere in chamber 29. 7 As a result of this action the air in channel and chamber 15 is vented by the vent 14 and the diaphragm 16, descends lowering valve 20 to its seat 21, this action closing communication between the exhaustchamber and the loud edal bellows and opening communication etween the latter andthe atmosphere through the perforated plate 22 so as to reinflat e the bellows and re store the pedal to normal position. Shortly after this action occurs the note-sheet opening 57 asses out of engagement with the trackerar opening 51 so as to. cut oil the supply of air to the under side of diaphragm 43 and immediately thereafter the air below the diaphragm is drawn through the venthole through the exhaust-chamber so as to permit the atmos heric pressure on topof the valve 41 to force t 1e latter and the dia hragm down to their original positions. T e next action may be a repetition of the operation of the parts to again increase the volume of sound, or the nextaction may be an operation of the soft edal to reduce the volume of sound to less tfl annormal,'this being. controlled entirely by the note-sheet openings. As shown the openin 56 is adapted next to register with trackerat opening 55 so as to supply atmospheric pressure to the under side of diaphragm 16 and thus cut off communication between the atmosphere and the bellows for operating the soft pedals and establish communication between the said belholds diaphragm 31 in lows andv the exhaust-chamber 6 for the pur'- ose of reducing the volume of sound as will lie readily understood from the precedin description in connection with the loud pedai; it being understood that the loud and soft pedal connections and mechanism are of duare 'both connected at one end to the pas- -sa e 33;

romthe .above description it will be apparent that I have produced an ex ression device which performs its function e ciently and reliably and I wish it to be understood haust-chamber'and diaphragms to operate said'valves, a passage connected to one of the valve-chambers, a iaphragm normally closingthe end of said passage opposite to the connected valve-chamber and also normally closing one end of one of the passages having vent-hole communication with the exhaustcham'ber, and a' assageconnected to the other valve-chain er and incommunication with the side of the 'Iastmamed dia' 'hragm opposite to the passages normally 0 osed at one end thereby;

2. An ex res'slon device, having an exhaust-cham er, a pair of valve-chambers connected to the exhaust-chamber and the fatmos here, valves in ,the valve-chambers -norina closing'com-municationbetween the same and the exhaust-chamber, passages having" vent-hole connections with the exhaust-chamber an said valves, a passa e conne'c't'ed to one of; the valve chambers, 'a iaphragm normally closing, the endof said passagejop 'osite-to the connected valve-chamber and a so normally closing one end of one of the passages having vent-hole communication with the exhaustchamber, and a assage connected to the other valve-cham er and in communication with-the side of the last-named dia hragm opposite to the passages normally c osed at .one end thereby, in combination with a tracker bar having'a 'air of openin s connected 'to the passages having vent-ho e connection with the exhaust -chamber.

3.. An ex ression device havin haust-cham er, a pairof valve-c ambers, connected to the exhaust-chamber and the atmos here, valves in the valve'chambers norma ly closing communication between the same and the exhaust-chamber, passages. having vent-hole communications ,-with' the exhaust-chamber and diaphragms to operate said valves, a passa e connected to oneof the valve-chambers, a iiaphragm normally-clos- .ing the endof said passage op osite'to the connected valve-chamber and a so normally closing one .end of one of the passages having vent-hole communication with the exhaustchamber, and a assage connected to the other valve-cham er and in communication diaphragms to. operatean exwiththe side of the last-named diahragm opposite to the passages normally 0 osed at one end thereby, in combination with a trackerbar having a' air of openings connected to the passages iavin vent-hole connections with the exhaustamber, and a note-sheet provided with,perforation's to sue cessivel open communicationbetween the atmos here and the tracker-bar opening connecte to the passage having vent hole communication w1th,the exhaust-chamber and closed at one end by the diaphragm and the tracker bar opening bonnected to the other passa ehavingve'nt-hole communicationwith the ex aust.-

4. An ex ression device having an exhaust-cham er, a pair o f'- valve-chambers connected to the exhaust-chamber and the atmos here, valves in the valve-chambers norma 1y closin communication between the same and the ex aust-chamber, passages having vent-hole connections'with the exhaustchamber and diaphragms to -'oper at'e said valves, a passage connected 'to'one' of the valve-chambers, a passage connected to the other valve-chamber, a ohamber communieating with the last-named passage, a flexible diaphragm in said chamber and bridging and, normally closing one end of the first-named passage connected to a valve-chamber and. also bridgin and normally closing one end of the pa'ssageliaving the diaphragm to operate the valve'of the valve-chamber connected to the chamber e nipped with the-said flexible diaphragm, an a tub'e communiwtin with the chamber equipped with the-said exible' diaphragm.

5. An ex ression device, having'an exhau'st-cham er, a flexible diaphra .m at the bottom thereof and a v alve-cham 'er vertically above the diaphragm and connected to the exhaust-chamber. and the'atmosphere, a valve in the valve chamber normallyclosing communication betWe-ensaid chamber and the exhaustchamberand carryin rigidly a stem to be-forced upward-by ,t e r ia -hr'agm at times, a chamber ,underlying tie. diaphra m, a passage communicating with said cham er and having a vent-hole connection with the exhaust-chamber, a tube to conduct air at times to said passage, a passage connected at one end to thevalve-cham'ber, a chamber communicating with said passage and a flexible dia hragm closingone side 0 said chamber ant normally closing one end of the passage having a vent-hole connection with the exhaust-chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses. U

FR-EDERICH WOOD,

I Y Witnesses.

H. C. RODGERS, G. Y. T'HORPE. 

